By Jeff Chang
Many California cities and public agencies negotiate with — and reach memorandums of understanding with — their union bargaining partners on a regular basis. In some cases, these unions are local police or firefighter unions. In other cases, the bargaining units are part of much larger national unions (e.g., SEIU, the Operating Engineers or the Steelworkers). In these latter situations, the public agency often agrees to “participate” in — and contribute to — the multiemployer pension plan maintained by the national union organization. These plans are typically overseen by a joint employer/employee board of trustees. Most people recognize these arrangements as “Taft-Hartley” plans.
